In Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat, an 'Asian Eating House' embroiled in controversy
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Chef Gordon Ramsay criticized a food writer last week who called a preview of his new restaurant, billed as an “Asian Eating House,” an “actual kitchen nightmare.” (That's a reference to one of his TV shows).
Among the observations that writer Angela Hui noted in her report on Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant preview for Eater London was that she was the only East Asian person in the room of 30 to 40, and that the restaurant appeared to conflate Chinese and Japanese ingredients and flavors.
“Critics and reviewers have an important job to do, and it’s important that they are independent and have freedom of speech,” Ramsay wrote on Instagram . “However, the slew of derogatory and offensive social media posts that appeared on Angela Hui’s social channels, were not professional.”
Supporters of both Hui and Ramsay argued online , some defending Hui’s “lived experience of racism” and accusing Ramsay of bullying, while others criticized the writer’s characterization of Lucky Cat’s executive chef, Ben Orpwood.
Ramsay’s Lucky Cat has been included in larger criticism about approaches non-Asian chefs take when opening Asian restaurants. Commenting on Lucky Lee’s — a New York restaurant that offers what it called “clean” Chinese-American food — journalist Cathy Erway wrote on Twitter that “Lucky has become code for something awful,” referencing Lucky Lee’s, Lucky Cat, and Lucky Cricket — a restaurant from chef Andrew Zimmern. Zimmern apologized after early comments he made about Chinese-American restaurants were called “offensive.”
Lucky Cat is scheduled for a summer open in London, replacing Maze, another Ramsay restaurant that currently occupies Lucky Cat’s storefront. Among the dishes at the early April preview of Lucky Cat were a kingfish sashimi, a smoked duck breast with ahed plum and Japanese pear, and a “yuzucello” digestif liqueur, according to Hui .
Speaking to NBC News last year, New York University Prof. Krishnendu Ray, who studies food and immigration, said there are way chefs can open restaurants featuring cuisine of a different ethnicity, but that requires effort in understanding the roots and history of the cuisine and the cultural dynamics that enable the chef to open the restaurant.
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My local bagel place is owned and operated by a Chinese man and he hires an almost full Latino staff. No one is offended. When are we going to stop being offended by everything?
Thoughts?
I'll give it a century or so before it stops.
It's really just got started.
Really only this one:
I believe an old adage/poem applies here:
"You please some of the people all of the time
all of the people some of the time
but never all of the people, all of the time"
Show me a room full of people and someone in there is bound to be pissed off about something of insignificance to most of the others.
Its human nature.
No better or worse than a Anglo owning and operating Mexican restraunt is it? Some people just have nothing better to complain about it seems.
My late son was a professional chef who went to school at Scottsdale Culinary Institute's Le Cordon Bleu Program in 2005. He worked briefly at different restraunts in Scottsdale during his internship and I seem to recall him mentioning that place because it was a unusual name
My thanks. It will be 2 years on the 24th of this month. I lost his mother four months before him.
I was unaware of the loss of your son, Doc.
Waanakiwin niijii (peace my friend)
Sorry to hear this. That's an unbearable loss.
Cultural appropriation is a made up, false liberal construct that ignores the reality of thousands of years of civilization. At best, it is the product of staggering ignorance. At worst, it is simple bigotry.
Slow day for NBC?
This doesn't seem to be much of a story.
The lady wrote a mostly negative review of his restaurant, but I didnt get the impression she was particularly incensed about cultural appropriation. It sounded more like she just isn't a fan of Gordon Ramsay.
Restaurant reviews are often quirky.
I think the "political correctness" of this story was generated entirely on social media by others, and not in the restaurant review itself.
Then why did she make part of her review this comment:
That suggests she harbors some bigotry or a racial superiority complex.
Have to agree with your comment.
She complained that it mixed Chinese and Japanese dishes and flavours. He didn't call it a Chinese restaurant, nor did he call it a Japanese Restaurant. He could, IMO, have added Thai and Korean and Vietnamese dishes as well, because he called it an ASIAN restaurant. The critic is a little picky, I would say. Anyway, maybe he calls it the "Lucky Cat" because the cat doesn't end up being today's special.
I actually have a favorite Asian fusion restaurant and I enjoy many different blended food restaurants like French/ Vietnamese. I think making something new is always interesting.... so long as there is no cat in it.
According to this critic, Julia Child would have been a fraud for writing the most popular cookbook in the world because it's about French cooking.
Asian encompasses a number of different countries, not just China and Japan....Time for the reviewer to take a break.
I have to agree, Kavika. She has no culinary imagination.
I don't care who makes the food as long as it tastes good. 25 tears ago my favorite restaurant closed it was a Chinese buffet but not like most Chinese buffets are now with their precooked frozen food this one had all their own recipe's made fresh. The Owner sent all his daughters to College and none of them wanted to work those long hours running the restaurant. I wish someone had taken over and kept the same menu and I wouldn't have cared what race or religion they were as long as I could still get my Golden Palace buffet on. As far as food they of course had Chinese but they also had Roast Beef, Family Style Chicken, Fried Chicken, Shells and Sauce, French Fries, and a bunch of other none Chinese Food.
Sounds like someone is overly sensitive. If a chef can cook a certain style of food then have at it, it doesn't matter what his/her heritage is.
I have to agree. Food is the international language.
The name would turn me off from Asian food, Gordon Ramsey should be smarter than to have cat in the name.
If its savory, nutritious and affordable, not seeing any down side to who prepares it.
E.
P.S. In kosher cuisine, we call Haggis Kishka.
Major Yum.
I love Kishka. Major Yum.. but you can feel your arteries clogging.
If you want to dine on REAL American food you should try Native America and NA/Fusion foods. There are some great NA restaurants around the country. The last time I was in Phoenix I ate at the ''Kai''.
They specialize in Pima and Maricopa native foods and it's located in the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Chandler AZ.
Reservations (pun) are recommended.
Good idea other than some bannock years ago and of course wildmeats (btw seal is awful) I don't think I've ever tried NA cuisine
Give yourself a treat Freefaller. I don't know where you live but give me an idea (general location) and I might know of some well worth your time/visit.
If you've had bannock than I'll assume that you either live in Canada or visit there. True?
Kavika thanks but no worries I already Googled it and the closest restaurant (it's called Native Delights) to me is 4hrs SW in Edmonton. I'll try next time I get down that direction
True I live up here
OK, let me know when you give it a go....
BTW, Vancouver has a number of great NA restaurants. Quite far from you but if you're ever that way.
I'm sure it does have some great places but you're correct it's a bit far (2 day drive).